Review of AIR [IN SUMMER] - A moving and tearful story with summer memories

Detailed review and recommendation of AIR [IN SUMMER]

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

18+ games

■ Broadcast period

August 28, 2005 - September 4, 2005
BS-i August 28, 2005 to September 4, 2005 (1st to 2nd) Every Sunday 23:30 to 24:00

■Broadcasting station

BS-i

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 2

■Original Story

Key/Visual Art's

■ Director

Tatsuya Ishihara

■ Production

・Animation Production: Kyoto Animation ・Production: Tsubasa Denshoukai (TBS, Pony Canyon, Kyoto Animation)

■Works

©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasa Denshokai

■ Story

A young man arrives in a town facing the sea. His name is Kunizaki Otohito, and he travels from town to town making a living as a puppeteer. He has the mysterious "power" to make puppets move without touching them. A young girl named Kanrin speaks to him. She is friendly and smiles innocently. Meeting her marks the beginning of Otohito's life in this land. Days pass peacefully, enveloped in summer scenes. He meets the girls repeatedly in the sunlight. The summer continues endlessly, beneath the expansive blue sky. In that atmosphere, she waits. A short summer to fulfill a far-away promise imposed on the one with the "power"...

■Explanation

The staff of the hit anime TV series "AIR" have reunited to produce this special sequel. It tells the side story of Kanna, who faced a harsh fate as a "winged person" a thousand years ago. It incorporates the comical elements of the original game, and you can enjoy the cuteness of the main character, Kanna, to the fullest. This special edition is a must-see for "AIR" fans, as it allows you to rediscover the charms of characters who only appeared in two episodes in the main series, such as Kanna, Ryuya, and Uraha!

*Quoted from TBS On Demand

■Cast

・Kannabi no Mikoto/Nishimura Chinami ・Ranai/Kanna Nobutoshi ・Uraha/Inoue Kikuko

■ Main staff

・Original work: Key/Visual Art's
Director: Tatsuya Ishihara・Series composition, scriptwriter: Fumihiko Shimo・Character concept: Itaru Hinoue・Character design, chief animation director: Tomoe Aratani・Color design: Akiyo Takeda・Art director, art setting: Joji Unokuchi・Director of photography: Ryuta Nakagami・Editor: Seiji Morita・Music: Shinji Orito, Magome Togoshi, Jun Maeda・Music remastering: Ted Jensen・Sound director: Yota Tsuruoka・Producers: Yoshihisa Nakayama, Shinichi Nakamura, Yoko Hatta・Animation production: Kyoto Animation・Production: Tsubasa Denshoukai (TBS, Pony Canyon, Kyoto Animation)

■ Main Characters

・A girl who lives under guard at Kannabi no Mikoto Shrine.
A samurai assigned to guard Yanagi Kanna.
A lady-in-waiting who serves Uraha Kanna. She is gentle and knowledgeable.

■Subtitle

・Special Edition Part 1/Yamamichi ~Mountain Path~ (2005/08/28)
・Special Edition Part 2/Ametsuchi ~universe~ (2005/09/04)

■ Related works

・AIR prelude
・AIR
・AIR MEMORIES
・Theatrical version of AIR

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・ Bird Song ・ Lyrics by Jun Maeda (Key)
・Composition: Shinji Orito ・Arrangement: Kazuya Takase (I've)
・Singer: Lia

・ED1
・Farewell song
・Lyrics/Jun Maeda (Key)
・Composition: Togoshi Magome ・Arrangement: Togoshi Magome ・Singer: Lia

Detailed evaluation

"AIR [IN SUMMER]" is a special edition of the TV anime series based on the hugely popular 18+ game "AIR" by Key/Visual Art's. This special edition was broadcast on BS-i for two weeks from August 28 to September 4, 2005. Although it was only broadcast for a short period of time (only two episodes), the content was very dense and it is a work that fans cannot miss.

The biggest feature of this special edition is that it depicts a side story from the original game. In particular, it focuses on the story of Kanna, who bore the harsh fate of being a "Winged Person" from a thousand years ago, and allows viewers to rediscover her charm. Nishimura Chinami, who plays Kanna, delivers a fantastic voice performance, conveying her innocence and cuteness from the screen. Additionally, characters such as Ryuya, the samurai who guards Kanna, and Uraha, the lady-in-waiting who serves her, are also appealing, and their backgrounds and feelings are explored in depth.

Director Tatsuya Ishihara showed his talent in the "AIR" TV series, and his skill shines in this special edition as well. In particular, the beautifully rendered summer scenery is stunning and has the power to draw the viewer in. Music also plays an important role, with the background music by Shinji Orito, Magome Togoshi, and Jun Maeda, and the theme songs "Tori no Uta" and "Farewell Song" sung by Lia helping to enhance the atmosphere of the story.

This special edition is highly recommended not only for fans of the original game, but also for viewers who enjoyed the anime version of "AIR". In just two short episodes, Kanna's story and the charm of the characters are condensed, making it well worth watching. It also incorporates the comical elements of the original game, allowing you to enjoy both laughter and emotion.

Recommendation

To enjoy "AIR [IN SUMMER]," we recommend that you first watch the original game "AIR" and the TV series "AIR." This will allow you to understand the backgrounds of characters such as Kanna, Ryuya, and Uraha, as well as the overall story, and you will be able to enjoy the special edition in greater depth. You can also enjoy the world of "AIR" even more by checking out related works such as "AIR prelude," "AIR MEMORIES," and the movie version of "AIR."

This special edition was broadcast on BS-i and then released on DVD and Blu-ray. The video and audio quality is high, so you can enjoy it over and over again, so be sure to get your hands on it. It may also be available on streaming services, so be sure to check those out too.

"AIR [IN SUMMER]" is a touching story woven with summer scenery, beautiful music, and charming characters. Please rediscover the world of "AIR" through this special edition.